After Dark

Motel Room

The motel room was a bit dingy. The dresser was dusty. The walls were in need of fresh paint. However the two people in the room were not looking for a Sofitel. Just a room with a bed was all they needed.

"Am I making your nervous, Adelita", Lorelei, the blonde-haired girl said to Adelita, who sat on the edge of bed, fidgeting with her hands.

"No, not really", Adelita replied. "I never done anything like this before."

"Of course," Lorelei replied.

Adelita added, "I mean, I've slept in motel rooms like this. I just never been with, you know"

"A female?" Lorelei asked.

"A vampire."

"I see."

"I didn't know vampires existed until now."

Lorelei smiled and walked closer to Adelita. "Well, we're not all bad. Just relax and enjoy the ride. It's like a heroin high."

"I never done heroin," Adelita. "Will it hurt?"

"Not much and not the way I bite."

Adelita smiled. "What do you want me to do?"

"Lay down across the bed and pull up your sleeves."

Adelita did as she was told. Lorelei met Adelita a Goth retail store. Adelita had long black hair, brown eyes and deep olive skin tone. It was such a stark contrast to Lorelei's blonde pixie cut and green eyes. They were drawn to each other like moths to flame. Lorelei sense Adelita's loneliness and desire for death. Adelita sense Lorelei's hunger and power. As Adelita pulled up her sleeve, Lorelei noticed long jagged marks running up her arm. They almost looked like track marks, but Lorelei knew better.

Lorelei sat on the edge of the bed and smiled. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Adelita hesitated a bit but then nodded. "Yes. Should I close my eyes?"

"You don't have to. In fact, you may find yourself wanting to watch." Lorelei brushed a stray hair from Adelita's face. She was such a pretty girl. Too young to be feeling this depressed. But Lorelei was hungry. She hadn't fed in three days and as a young vampire, she needed to feed daily. She could smell the sweetness of Adelita's blood. Lorelei inhaled deeply, taking in the salty aroma of Adelita's skin. Lorelei lifted Adelita's arm to her mouth and spotted a pulsing vein. Adelita's heartbeat quicken. Lorelei's fangs elonged and she pressed them against Adelita's skin.

As her fangs pieced skin, she heard Adelita gasp. Soon the blood flowed into her mouth. Lorelei closed her eyes and let the sweet nectar fill her hungry mouth. Her mind began to drift to a memory. She was twelve years old, at the beach with her mother and sister. They were lounging under a beach umbrella, enjoying a summer day. Lorelei was sipping a soda. Her sister was laughing at the surfers. Her mother's head was buried in a romance novel. The sun felt so good on Lorelei's skin. A sensation that was taken from her three years ago. So lost in her own thoughts, Lorelei did not hear Adelita speaking.

"The world is such a chaotic place," Adelita whispered. "So cold and numb. I slide the razor across my skin to see the blood. To know I'm still alive. It feels good. I guess it's like heroin. The sensation of that razor makes me feel, I don't know. I just wanted to feel something. Anything, really." Adelita looked down at Lorelei's biting into her arm. "Yes, take it all. Take me away from all this pain. No one will miss me."

Adelita closed her eyes and a memory came to her. She was eight years old. She was at a park with her family. Adelita, her sister and brother were on the playground. Her father was pushing her on the swing. Her mother was at the picnic table, fixing their lunch. It was a great time in Adelita's life. It was before the divorce and wars over money, custody and houses. It was when Adelita's life made sense.

Lorelei pulled away and looked up at Adelita. Her eyes were closed, sleeping peacefully. Though she was still hungry, Lorelei could not bring herself to drink anymore of the Adelita's blood. Lorelei felt sorry for her. She understood her pain, but at least she was still human. Adelita still had a chance. Lorelei gently crossed Adelita's arms and pulled a blanket over her. Before leaving the room, Lorelei placed a small kiss on Adelita's forehead. "Sleep well, my friend."

When Adelita woke up the next morning, she found herself alone, with nothing more than small puncture wounds on her arm. She believed she just had the strangest dream.